Lever release latch



April 27, 1948.

F. S. DESCHERMEIER LEVER RELEASE LATCH 'Filed Feb. 7, 194'6 2 sheets-sheet 1 April y27, 1948.

v F. S. DESCHERMEIER LEVER RELEASE LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1946 fag@ Patented Apr. 27, 1948 LEYER'RELEASELATCH` I FrankS; dschrmcer, Chicago,y Ill.;` assigner, :by:

mesncr.lassigfmsnents;f.V to ChicagoX Forging. yand Manufacturing; gGompany, Chicago; Illaafcorporation .ot Delaware Application FebruaryY 7, IMG-Serial Not-'646,10l'2 e 1 Claimfl.. (Cl. :W2-221)` My .inventionirelatesi :to an. improvement. finr latches .and has'. for. one .purposexto provide 'ar structureadaptable for fa hood/latch forvauto'- mobilesiand the like.v

Anotherpurpose` is` to provide.,hoodlatch structure-inv .which a minimum ofVr effort is; necessary in order to releasethelatchs,

Another 'purpose' is toVV provide improved keeper engaging means` for'-permittingv a relatively easy latch release.

Other purposes will appear fromtimeztotime in the course foi the-specication and claim.

The invention is: illustratedmore or'less--diaA grammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein? Figure 1 is a vside. elevation withY parts in vertical longitudinal section;

Figure 2 is a section on an enlarged-scaleon the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3;-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 oflligure .3 withfthe parts in a different position-gi:

Figure 5 isr-.a section on the linea-5 :Ji-Figure 4;` and Figure 6 is -a detail.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, I generally indicates an automobile hood extending forwardly from `an instrument panel 2. 3 is a hood closure,

herein shown as of the alligator type, which may be movably or rotatably supported in relation to the hood, as at 4. 5 illustrates the forward end of the hood closure with any appropriate louvres which do not form part of the present invention.

Mounted on the hood, by any suitable means, preferably adjustable, is the bottom plate structure generally indicated as IIJ. It may for example be secured by a plurality of screws or bolts I I which pass through a supporting ledge I2. As is shown in Figure 3 the screws or bolts Il may pass through apertures of sufficient clearance to permit a substantial adjustment in a horizontal plane of the member I in relation to the hood or body of the automobile. The plate l0 is provided with an aperture I3, shown as surrounded by a downwardly turned reinforcing flange I4. The plate is also provided with a `dovetail aperture I partly surrounded by a flange I6, the flange being interrupted, as at Il, as will be clear from Figure 4 which illustrates the plate I from below.

Mounted preferably adjustably on the hood closure; is: 'an 'upper plate:V 2 il: which; is shown .aa carryingta keeperofifwhat may; be, ,calledrthespear: head type,:the` keeperii'ncluding; a generally` verticalstem E-'Il screw athreaded fer; adjustment inl'anysuitablewnut 22, which may. besecured to: for; he 4"held, against: rotation: in thev pocket; '2 3f ofthe.. plate, 2;. At the;loweren-otv of the stenrfZ t,

isa .downwardlyfconie keeper; head 24 having. at.V

itsuppenend a cylindricarportion 2li" terminating inra generally,horizontala'shoulder.2&2 which serves asuthe keeper .portion-'propelz .Acoillspring 2T normallyaurgesvthe .c1-1pz' 2S downwardly towardV orsagainstthe; shouidzenizof the;keeper loeadr.'4 Jvhenzzth parts f1are':in..the :1o cked z positionl, whichthey areshowninx-Figure 3; thelower flange 291' cti thacups 2 t; :engages :the :upperirface `of the l plate: Igzabout. the ,edgesf of'thei aperture. f. l Mounted :cn-'ftheY .upper plate f2 it is: amanually controllableesaietyrelease hook generallyiaindicated. as'l; ,.It'ist pirated asiat. 3 I: to earsr downwardlyiextendingrom'the pla-te 20E.; .Any suitable springtiV employedt urge. it generally lcounter ciccio/vise,:referring:v to the; .positionin' which:theY

parts are shown in Figure 3. This is eifeotive'to.

keep thenhool'reproper, w33' infvertical. alignment with the.: flange; ,t4 at. the. right hand-marginzof aperture l gfzreferring .to fthe position ,of the.

parts of' Figures.: Thus;.whentheebelowwidee scribed latch is released, the spring 21 is effective partly to raise the hood. However, if the hood is raised far enough to engage the hook 33, with the flange I4, it could go no farther unless and until the user inserts his fingers .and engages the lifting lever portion 34 of the hook assembly.

Assume that the closure 3 is in the closed position in which it is shown in Figure 3. The following latch structure then becomes operative. A latch member proper is indicated at 40, and is pivoted to the lower surface of the plate I0, as at 4I, for rotation about a generally vertical axis. The member 40 is also provided with an extension 42 which is guided by a strap or guide 43 having ends M secured by any suitable bolts or rivets or welds 45 to the lower surface of the plate I0. The plate I0 may advantageously be somewhat upwardly bulged as at 5S, to give room for movement of the latch 4t and its associated parts. It may also have a further upward bulging 5I the purpose of which will later appear. ln order to operate the latch 40 I provide an actuating lever which is pivoted to the latch as at 5S. The actuating lever and the latch are normally drawn toward latching position. I illustrate for example a coil spring 58 secured at one end to an ear 59 upset from the plate IU and at the other end to a pin 50 on the actuating lever 55. The end of the actuating lever 55 is adapted to abut against the cylindrical side portion 25 of the spear head 24. It is shown in this position for example in Figures 2, 3 and 4. At the same time, the latch 40 is in position overlying the upper face 2B oi the spear head 24. In order to release the latch 40 l? provide a flexible actuating connection, including the wire 60 which may extend to any suitable manual operating device 6|. The Wire may pass through any suitable conduit 62 and has a free end 63 which passes through any suitable lug or ear 64 at the end of the actuating lever 55. 65 is any suitable collar secured to the end of the wire 63.

Assume that the parts are in locking position, as shown for example in Figure 2, the user may release the latch by pulling on the wire 60. The result is to force the outer end of the actuating member 55 forcibly against the opposed face 25 of the spear head, as at the point marked X in Figure 4. The point X serves as the fulcrum of movement of the actuating lever 55. However, as the actuating lever moves clockwise, referring to the position in which the parts are shown in Figure 4, it is also effective, through its pivotal connection 58, to rotate the latch 40 about its center 4|. The result is an eventual movement of the latch 4i) out of its overlying locking position in which it is shown in Figure 3. As soon as the latch 40 clears the shoulder 26 of the spear head 24, the spring 21 is then effective slightly to raise the closure 3, pushing the spear head 24 upwardly through the aperture I5. .After the spring 21 has partially raised the closure, the user can now grasp the outer end of the closure 3 and lift it. The lever portion 34 of the hook 30 is so formed and placed, in relation to the closure, that the user, in lifting the closure, iinds it convenient to insert his iingers beneath the lever 34, whereby he may with one hand, at the same time release the hook 33, out of vertical alignment with the ange I4, and raise the closure.

Note that the latch 40 is provided with an upwardly extending stop lug 40a which limits the relative rotation of the latch 40 and the actuating lever 55. Note also that the guide. 43 is so 4 formed and placed as to permit the movement of the latch 40 from the latching to the unlatching position or back, while maintaining it in proper horizontal alignment and in close proximity to the lower face of the plate I0.

It will be realized that, whereas, I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

lI claim:

In a latch assembly, a supporting plate having a keeper receiving aperture, a keeper adapted to penetrate the aperture and move toward and from the plate in a plane generally perpendicular to the supporting plate, a latch element on the side of the plate farthest removed from the direction from which the keeper approaches, said latch element being pivoted to the late and having a portion adapted to engage the keeper, an actuating lever pivoted to said latch element, and having an abutting portion adapted to engage a side of said keeper, yielding means adapted normally to urge said latch element and said actuating lever toward latching position, and means, engaging an outer portion of said actuating lever, for rotating it and the latch element, toward unlatching position, while maintaining a leverage contact between said actuating lever and the keeper.

FRANK S. DESCHERMEIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,209,886 Hill I- July 30, 1940 2,224,454 Hill Dec. 10, 1940 2,286,740 Krause June 16, 1942 2,344,705 Krause Mar. 21, 1944 

